THE SENSITIVE PLANT by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Introduction by Edmund Gosse. Illustrations by Charles Robinson.
London: William Heinemann, No Date [1911]. First Edition Thus (& 1st printing). Quarto, original full purple morocco goatskin leather with pictorial gilt decoration, decorative white and gilt endpapers, top edges gilt. 127, + [1] pages. 18 tipped-in color plates, with additional illustrations in color and black and white by Robinson. 10 ¼'' x 8''; Printed at the Ballantyne Press. Spine panel tanned and faded to brown; small chip at head of spine. Trifling wear otherwise, a Very good bright copy, internally fine. Issued in several different bindings, this purple morocco is the prettiest and the scarcest of them all. Item #314485
¶ An illustrated version of one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poems which was originally published in 1820 in Shelley's PROMETHEUS UNBOUND collection. Written in the wake of his child’s death, Shelley’s poem describes a flower garden going through seasonal changes - first the garden embodies the joy and bliss of spring and summer, and later it becomes consumed by the decay and lethargy of fall and winter. Charles Robinson's illustrations to this work show a major illustrator at the height of his powers, using fine line illustrations and breathtaking colour washes in a superb art nouveau style which shows directly the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite artists. Robinson has used the Beauty and Pathos of Shelly's poem as an inspiration for his paintings which show the beauty of childhood, life in full bloom, death and decay. A stunning work.
Price (CAD): $600.00